Welcome to our third annual PICS/IPC Istanbul 2026 which will be held at the Wyndham Grand İstanbul Hotel and Conference Center. This is our third collaborative meeting with the IPC of Milan and the Turkish Society/Association of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery taking place in Istanbul. Indeed Istanbul, as the only major city to bridge two continents, provides the perfect backdrop for a collaborative venture between cardiologists from East and West with a focus on the interventional treatment of congenital heart disease. The meeting format will mirror the PICS template with morning sessions focused on Live Case Presentations from both local and international sites and the afternoon sessions dedicated to interactive sessions outlining cutting-edge therapies for congenital heart disease, in addition to an entire separate track on imaging organized by our colleagues Aimee Armstrong and Gregor Krings who joined the board of PICS.
The meeting will commence on Wednesday 15th April with live cases from three international sites with experienced operators.
Thursday 16th April will begin with live case transmissions from another 3 sites (international and local hospitals). Experienced international guest operators will provide technical and cognitive perspectives on evolving international approaches for congenital interventions in children and adults.
Friday April 17th also begins with live case transmissions from local Istanbul hospitals with local and guest operators, as well as International sites.
The live case presentations are the foundation of our meeting and provide a truly unique learning experience for attendees, with meticulous attention to optimizing patient care.
In addition to the live case presentations, there will be taped cases that will focus on certain themes. Many different topics will be discussed in the afternoon sessions. Such sessions include: Lunchtime sessions, parallel sessions and much more. in adults with CHD will have its share of discussions at the meeting. In addition, imaging sessions, and much more.
Poster abstracts will be displayed throughout the meeting with oral abstracts presented on Saturday morning. We will also have our popular Meet the Expert and Nightmare Case sessions on Saturday.
We look forward to learning with you and from you.
Yours truly,
PICS Istanbul Course Directors and Co-Directors
Dear Distinguish Colleagues,
The PICS IPC Istanbul 2026 Congress (organized by The PICS Society in collaboration with IPC and PEDKAR) originally scheduled for April 15-18, 2026 has been postponed to April 14–17, 2027 in Istanbul due to the current adverse developments in the Middle East. The Organizing Committee made this decision with the utmost priority given to the safety and well-being of our participants, colleagues and industry representatives. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this postponement may cause, but made this decision in light of the rapidly evolving and unpredictable nature of current events.
We are confident the 2027 meeting will continue the Congress’s dedication to our core principles: broad international participation, robust scientific exchange, excellence in professional education and above all dedication to providing the best possible care for the patients we are privileged to serve.
We sincerely hope that peace and stability will be restored in the region as soon as possible. We extend our heartfelt thanks for your understanding, and will keep those of you directly impacted in our thoughts as you continue to serve patients under challenging circumstances.
We will share further updates regarding the Congress with you regularly. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the organizing committee.
Sincerely,
PICS IPC Istanbul 2026 Organizing Committee
